Facts & Data

Engineering Today

Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering is top-ranked for its education and research programs. The School of Engineering is a leader in computational science and engineering and simulation and modeling. With pioneering research in nanotechnology, Rice’s School of Engineering has made significant contributions in bioengineering, materials science and energy. Its strengths in information technology include high performance computing, compilers and digital signal processing.

The School of Engineering at Rice has a tradition of giving students a sound foundation in the fundamentals of engineering but today, those fundamentals must be augmented by experiential learning and "soft skills." The "three ships"—Leadership, Internships and Entrepreneurship—help our students develop teamwork and communication skills, give them real engineering experience, and for those who are entrepreneurially inclined, provide resources to turn ideas into startups.

Collaboration is the key to engineering research at Rice. Faculty members, graduate students, undergraduates and research scientists work with researchers from across campus, across the street in the Texas Medical Center, across town in the energy sector, and beyond, to tackle some of the most challenging problems of our times.

Facts & Data

Engineering Today

Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering is top-ranked for its education and research programs. The School of Engineering is a leader in computational science and engineering and simulation and modeling. With pioneering research in nanotechnology, Rice’s School of Engineering has made significant contributions in bioengineering, materials science and energy. Its strengths in information technology include high performance computing, compilers and digital signal processing.

The School of Engineering at Rice has a tradition of giving students a sound foundation in the fundamentals of engineering but today, those fundamentals must be augmented by experiential learning and "soft skills." The "three ships"—Leadership, Internships and Entrepreneurship—help our students develop teamwork and communication skills, give them real engineering experience, and for those who are entrepreneurially inclined, provide resources to turn ideas into startups.

Collaboration is the key to engineering research at Rice. Faculty members, graduate students, undergraduates and research scientists work with researchers from across campus, across the street in the Texas Medical Center, across town in the energy sector, and beyond, to tackle some of the most challenging problems of our times.

CCD helps Warren get an internship

David Warren started using the Center for Career Development (CCD) as a freshman. The captain of Rice’s varsity tennis team, Warren has used the CCD for help with résumé writing and for learning how to shine in interviews.

“I’m in there all the time, bugging them,” he laughed.

And it’s all paid off. In addition to the tips he’s received, the center also helped him get an internship at ConocoPhillips this summer, where he’ll be working in the engineering department, likely on exploration and production projects.

“This is the first engineering internship I’ve had and I am really excited about it,” said the chemical engineering senior who will be doing a fifth year to complete his degree.

Warren has done research in the lab of Pedro Alvarez, the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This year he has a position in the lab of Lisa Biswal, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, where he is researching enhanced oil recovery measures. Last summer, Warren interned with Cheniere Energy, working on the trading floor, an experience he said gave him a high-level overview of the industry. That internship was secured after attended the Career Fair and Expo in the fall of 2015, where he met with Cheniere Energy representatives.

“I got to see how the market worked,” he said. “It gave me a big-picture view of the industry, and I not only saw how important oil and gas are globally, it gave me a different perspective on the opportunities that are out there.”

Warren said that the Center for Career Development was instrumental in his internship success. Staff members there helped him research employers, figure out his own strengths and create a game plan for navigating the Expo’s hundreds of employers and booths.

“I’m looking forward to learning as much as possible from ConocoPhillips,” he said. “It should be a great chance to see how my degree can fit into the work I’ll be doing. I’ve always wanted to surround myself with the best and the brightest — it’s why I came to Rice — and this company is definitely that.”